EUGENE, Oregon – University of Oregon student-athletes Marcus Mariota and De’Anthony Thomas have been named “players to watch” for the 2013 Walter Camp Player of the Year Award, the Walter Camp Football Foundation announced today. The foundation named 50 players representing 37 institutions as players to watch for the annual award, which is the nation’s fourth-oldest individual college football accolade.

Oregon is one of three Pac-12 schools to have multiple players receive preseason consideration for the Walter Camp Award.

Mariota garnered first-team All-Pac-12 honors in 2012 after setting the conference record for touchdown passes by a freshman. He was the nation’s seventh most efficient passer last season, completing 230 of 336 attempts for 2,677 yards. In his first year as signal-caller, he set school records in completion percentage (68.5) and total touchdowns (38). Mariota had 3,429 yards in total offense last season to lead the Ducks to a 12-1 record and a Tostitos Fiesta Bowl victory.

Thomas was one of only two players in the country a year ago to run for over 700 yards, gain more than 400 yards receiving and accumulate over 600 yards in punt and kickoff returns. He led the Ducks in receptions (45 for 445 yards), punt returns (222 yards) and kickoff returns (389 yards) last season, tying for 29th in the nation (and fifth in the Pac-12) in all-purpose yards (135.2 avg.). Thomas has 3,992 career all-purpose yards and has reached pay dirt 36 times the past two seasons.

The 2013 Walter Camp Player of the Year recipient, which is voted on by the 125 NCAA Bowl Subdivision head coaches and sports information directors, will be announced live on ESPN SportsCenter on Thursday, Dec. 12. The winner will then receive the trophy at the Foundation’s annual national awards banquet on Jan. 11, 2014 at the Yale University Commons in New Haven.